A Demon's Freedom
by Warriors-of-Iznugia
Summary: Now, you two. My life will end soon. You two are strong warriors, I know you will carry on our mission. However, there are these questions you always asked me, and I never answered. Those who knew everything are long gone, and with me these secrets will die as well. I am paralyzed, I cannot move, cannot speak... If I live, I will tell you everything about Nightmare's failure: me.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi! Welcome to… here! This story? Read it. Leave a review if you want. Thanks!**

I have been confined in this stinking hole for weeks now. I owed it all to luck. Simple as that. It was in the older part of the fortress, where the buildings were litteraly falling under the weight of the newest ones. I lost the soldiers who were after me in the higher levels, but I fear it may not be long before they spot me hiding here. After all… I was starting to get hungry. It has been a while since I have last eaten anything. Paranoïa had kept me from eating any of the meals brought to me; I feared they might be poisoned… I couldn't stay here any longer. Nightmare's voice kept echoing in my head, searching for me, for a weakness to exploit.

_"Now, my boy… Where could you be?"_

I closed my eyes tightly and tried to focus. I had to keep on focusing… My powers were the only that could stand between Nightmare and me. He would not… get to me…

_"Show yourself… I know you're here, somewhere…"_

I recoiled in the hole as a sudden noise shuffled near me and I waited impatiently for it to leave. It was like something was sniffing… It came closer and closer… until we met. Those bright, fiery eyes pierced mine, and I could only stare at them, mouth agape. The wolf continued staring for a moment longer, before letting out a low growl.

"You are in deep trouble," he growled in his growling language only us could clearly understand. "I've been looking all over for you. Have you lost so much pride as to hide like a lost child?"

"But I am a child…"

"This is not an excuse. Lord Nightmare has been searching all around the fortress for you. You cannot stay here."

The Wolfwrath looked away for a moment, then came back, this time a small bag in his jaws. He set it down in front of me and sat down.

"I brought you this. I won't be able to stay here any longer, or else our Lord will find you."

Without another word, he turned and disappeared, claws clicking on the metallic ground. I remained sitting there, eyes staring at the bag for a moment. The wondrous smell of raw and bloody meat came floating up to my nose and tingled my hunger. I waited until the claw noises left… then I reached out and opened the bag. I couldn't stop the drool from flowing down my mouth. Food! Finally!

_"Where are you… Come on out, boy… You won't be hurt…"_

Shut up! Stop talking! Let me eat! Without waiting for anything else, I tore the meat apart and ate it all up, savouring every bit and every drop, licking my blood soaked lips. I ate until all of it was gone, but I still wanted more. However, I knew the only way for me to get more would be to sneak in the palace kitchens and I couldn't possibly do that, could I? I would be found out immediately! Instead, I recoiled back in my hole, holding my feet against me and wrapping myself in my wings. This life was not mine… I was a proud and strong demon! I wasn't a stray dog! The last conversation I had with Nightmare might have been my last… What took me over, saying those words? I had insulted him! I had insulted the demons! My own kind! Why…? I didn't know… and I didn't want to know.

_"Now, boy, stop playing… I just want to talk… Your punishment might not be that bad if you open your mind to me right now… I might even let you live!..."_

Yeah, as if he'd do that… What I had said was unforgivable and I knew it. I couldn't possibly stay here! What would happen to me if I were to stay in this hole? It could only lead me to my death, even if Wolfwrath brought me food here and there… I would grow weak and skinny, lose my pride as a demon and die, eaten by Nightmare. I couldn't let this happen… could I?

_"This is getting long, boy…"_

You're right, I told myself. It is getting long, for both of us. Maybe all I had to do… was to leave… This place was no longer for me. The day after, I slowly crawled outside of the hole in the building I had been hiding in. The sudden light burned my eyes, and my back hurt like Hell. My wings, unused for weeks, were awfully sore and I had to crack them open; the small, fragile bones stretched out, and I could only cringe in pain. They folded themselves back against my back, numb, and I looked around, shrinking my sore eyes. It wasn't dawn yet… The artificial lights of the ceiling weren't as bright as they usually were. Taking in a deep breath, I tried to orientate myself. I had to find the hangar. There was surely a ship I could steal… There had to be!

_"Soooon, I can sense you moving… Your feet are walking fast… Where could you be headed? You are running… You are fleeing… Now, come back here…"_

I would never go back! I had decided! There was nothing else to do. I crossed many hallways, hid from guard patrols, had to kill two of them, and by the time I arrived in the hangar, many guards were behind me, yelling calls and swinging weapons toward me. I had to jump to the right to evade a ball of spikes, and duck as arrows and knives were thrown at me. The first vessel I saw was a salvaged Star Warrior cradle that was found some years before… It would be perfect! Anything would do! I ran up to it, breathless… I jumped into the opened shaft, feeling dizzy… What… was happening…? Eyes hurting and burning and my vision filling with black dots, I slammed the dome above me closed and quickly started up the engine. There was still some fuel inside, so I could maybe get as far away as I could… As the ship started rising from the ground, his voice came back, with a sudden, overjoyed tone…

_"Found you…"_


	2. Chapter 2

You know this feeling when you are alone, you need to talk but you have no one to listen? When you can only hear the beating of your heart but you want to hear your enemies to know where they are hiding? When you are just by yourself, and you cannot hope to find help? That is how I felt… And believe me when I say, it is not something you want to experience… Be that as it may, I quickly understood that, in space, you have to accustom to this.

I had left. Where? I don't know, but I was in enemy territory, with demons after me. Where was I headed? I didn't know. What had I left? I didn't know either… I was in no position to stand there doing anything. The ship guided me in space, only relying upon my sixth sense to know where I was heading. Whatever it was I had left behind, it had taken everything I could have had. My honor. My freedom. My name. My memory…

Who was I again? I… didn't know… But I wasted no time in thinking, for I could still feel those… things, behind me. I had seen these demons; horrible creatures, with no eyes, no fur or feathers, only a beak, claws and no soul. I went away from them, away from the fight; I could not fight as I was, confused and lost, in a ship that barely had enough fuel to keep me going. That being, that monstrous being, had taken away my memories! How did I get here? I didn't know… What did I do to deserve such a fate? I didn't know either… But I would find out, as soon as I got away from those creatures.

For days, or as my internal clock told me, I kept on going, without stopping, without even thinking of where to go. After a while, it began to grow in my body, and I suddenly grew tired, hungry, thirsty... I was already hungry in the first place… A place to land. I needed to find a place to land. I couldn't continue like this any longer. I picked up the closest planet I could find and headed down its atmosphere. Strangely enough, the vessel that carried me didn't burn as it fell like a comet down the sky, I felt nothing as fire engulfed the ship and blinded me. Soon enough, the flames disappeared, and a wonderful scene appeared before my eyes. Green lush forests expended on and on, without an end to me. I passed through some clouds and my eyes widened as I saw some more landscape. Fields and lakes, mountains on the horizon, lost in the darkness of the night, only lit by various strange lights on the ground I couldn't see correctly.

As I neared the ground, the ship wouldn't slow down… I tried pulling the commands to raise it up, but it failed. I couldn't slow my descent, and the earth grew nearer and nearer, until the ship painfully and suddenly dug down in a hill. My head hit the window, I bit my lip and tasted my blood, and my vision clouded over…

Upon opening my eyes, after how much time I could not tell, all I saw first were trees above me. They were dark, but a beautiful purple light shone above and pierced holes in their leaves, shining down upon my face reassuringly. The pain at the back of my head wasn't gone, and felt even worse, like it had spread in my whole body and down my back. I slightly groaned and tried to move, but something held me in place. Now fully woken up, I lifted my head only to see that strange cords made of roots, like thick lianas, were attached all around me. I was dangling from a tree. I tried to break them, or loosen them at the very least, but they were too strong, and my arm ached as much as my back. Sighing in defeat, I let my head fall back down, and looked around, confused. What a strange place I fell into… Everything was dark, and only lit by strange crystals, which grew in various places; on the ground, in trees, even in the form of flowers. The three moons of this world were gigantic, almost covering the whole sky, and shone down upon the planet with their mystic light. It was all… so beautiful… Somehow, being stuck there dangling from the tree didn't really bother me. As long as I was granted with such a view, I was just fine.

Confused still however, I looked around, in search of my ship. I soon noticed it; it was just… above… me… It was stuck in the tree, in the thickest and most solids branches, like the tree had stopped us both from touching the ground. The ship had probably rolled around when it collided with the ground and fell down the cliff over there to fall in this tree… I could see that the dome windshield had broken. It explained what I was doing outside. I stayed in this position, wondering what to do… Until a very strange noise came from behind me. It sounded like a long wail of sorts, deep and bone chilling. I tried to twist my head to look, but my round body would not allow me to. More of these noises now came from all around me and I started panicking. I kicked my feet around, sensing some unseen presence around me, and I suddenly hit something, but I couldn't see anything; it was like I simply hit thin air that had suddenly hardened. Another strange noise came out at that moment, proving I had definitely hit something, but I couldn't see anything still.

"Stop moving," a new, deep voice spoke at that moment. "They won't hurt you if you don't hurt them."

A blue light appeared in my vision, coming from my left, and its rays made visible a whole gang of strange… things semi-transparent and of various colors, looking almost like spirits. They represented many creatures unknown to me, and I gulped down as one of them sniffed at my face; I could see through it. The light approached some more, and they left in a matter of seconds, squeaking like scared dogs. I turned my head toward the source of the light, and what I saw made me squeak as well. It was a man, round like me, yet this one was pink and he wore a beautiful white armor, unlike me. He bore a marvelous pair of angelic wings on his back, which he was flapping with ease as he approached silently, watching me closely with his ruby eyes. The mask he wore was white also, with a cross-like slit that made his gaze uneasy to look at. The light source came from a small lantern he held in one hand, inside of which was a small crystal.

"Who are you?" he asked me suspiciously. "You have the wings of a demon and the knowledge of a moron. Do you even know what you just hit?" He sighed, not even letting me answer. "Tss, of course you don't… Tell me your name."

How could I answer that? I gulped down nervously, trying to find something to say.

"I am, huh…" I began, trying to find a temporary name to fool him. "Knight… My name's Knight…"

"Knight?" he repeated. "Are you kidding me?"

I shook my head no, hoping he wouldn't ask me where I was from. He simply looked at me over and landed on the nearest branch, shuffling his wings.

"Just wait until I show you to the others," he mumbled, though I clearly heard him. "I will finally be renowned by Sir Arthur with your capture! Even though… you have the ship… Mmh…"

He approached me, making me panic once more and I struggled to be set free but yet again those roots kept me stuck in place. What was I doing in these roots to begin with? Who put me here? I saw the man approach more and I shut my eyes tightly, expecting to feel some more pain. But, I felt nothing. Confused, I opened my eyes and looked at the man; he locked eyes with me and I then understood something, but I could not explain how I knew of this. This man, whoever he was and wherever he came from, he was a Star Warrior, whatever that is… He sighed loudly and grasped the roots on my back, tearing them out of the tree. Instead of freeing me, he held on to the roots and flew, with me hanging under him with my wings stuck in odd angles in this net of lianas. I did not dare to speak; I was paralyzed at that moment. What would he do with me? Where was he taking me?

For a while I just let myself be dragged around in these strange woods, and about an hour later, the forest gradually disappeared and trees were replaced by strange buildings of a tern gray color and of many sizes and shapes. Many people stopped whatever they were doing to stare at me; they stopped training with their weapons, they stopped carrying crates, many even came out of the buildings, just to stare and dig my hole deeper. Feeling ashamed at my position in these roots, being dragged around like this, I closed my eyes and tilted my head so people would see less of me. But it didn't help at all.

After simply a few minutes that felt like years to me, that winged warrior suddenly threw me forward, and without anything to hold on to, I fell in the mud with a cry. Many laughs came to my ears and, even more covered in shame, I simply averted my gaze and dared not to look before me when I heard the distinct sound of metal boots clicking in front of me.

"Is this the one?" I heard a soft and gentle voice say. I felt like I had already heard that voice… but where? Stupid memory…

"Yes Sir," answered the winged warrior. "Though he is not as strong or smart as people say, I could recognize that face anywhere… It is him."

Were they talking about me? Of course they were, who would they talk about? Finally, I looked up, slowly, mud dripping from my chin. By the stars… It was another Star Warrior, yet this one inspired royalty, chivalry, honor and leadership. He was covered in a gold armor, and I could see that his skin under was emerald. Shocked, I couldn't say anything or move; my mouth stayed open. The man locked eyes with me; his were a smoky purple that shone with bravery. But my amazement faded when I saw that his hand was on the hilt of his sword, hidden in its scabbard. He did not trust me one bit…

"Untie him," he finally ordered, and a ripping sound soon followed.

Instinctively, my wings unfurled, making people around me gasp and back away, and I could finally stand up from this mud. I immediately backed away from the golden man, but I was surrounded and I didn't know where to look. All these people… Different species, all different eyes and looks, all different stories and reasons to be here… Were their reasons the same as mine? A sudden pain quickly stopped me and I groaned painfully, holding my arm. Upon closer inspection, I discovered there was a big, bleeding gash upon my dark skin. I felt light suddenly and I had to close my eyes to chase away the dark spots lingering in the corner of my vision.

"Do you know where you are?" I heard the golden one ask gently, though I took out some anger in his tone of voice.

"No!" I cried out, still feeling light, and my vision started swaying around as my voice echoed in my head. "I have no idea what this place is or what's going on! Where am I? What happened? I…!... I… I don't… feel… ugh…"

The last thing I remember from this moment of my life, was my vision darkening, and the golden knight reaching out to me.


	3. Chapter 3

Light slowly came in through my closed eyelids. With a small groan, I forced myself to open them, but I had to close them again; arh! That light! It almost burned my cornea! I waited for the pain to subside before trying again, and this time it was much better. Ah. It was a neon light. Its artificial energy shone down on me, almost making my skin tickle, and the buzzing sounds it gave off disturbed my ears, which were now used to silence. When my consciousness reminded me what had happened before, I looked around me, almost expecting a sword to come at my neck. But no. I was in a small bed, in what seemed like a medical bay, with other soldiers on other beds around me. They were all injured, and while some were still sleeping, others were staring at me with a mistrust I had never seen.

Averting my gaze, I sat up in bed, and I saw the blanket that covered me. Even though it was a pink color, not very manly, it was so soft, I was almost amazed by its textures. My hand brushed against it and a small smile disturbed my once neutral face. I heard some noise at the door and I froze, my head lifting toward it almost mechanically. It was just a nurse, pushing a carriage with strange things that gave off a delicious smell. The nurse, a small white puffball like me with pink feet, went to every bed with a smile and offered a plate of food to everyone who was awake. The smell almost made me salivate from where I was in the corner. The nurse gave a plate to the solder missing a leg next to me and offered him some comforting words, but when she turned to me, she lost her smile. Without a word, she took a simple plate with a glass of water and put them on the small rack made for this in front of me, at the end of the bed. I watched her leave with an almost desperate look in my eyes, and I turned to my plate.

Whatever these strange things in it were, it smelled delicious and aroused my hunger once more. I approached the rack and took hold of the plastic fork planted in the food with my stubby arm. Without any fingers, many would have thought this to be hard to take things, but it was rather easy. Wait… Where were my gloves? I wore gloves before coming here! Did they took them away? And my armor? Damn it, everyone could see me entirely… I did not look at them and tasted the food. After days and days of flying in space with nothing to eat or drink, it was paradise. My eyes widening, I ate everything and drank the whole glass in a few gulps, almost choking on it. I took the time to taste every bite, to munch properly and run my tongue over everything that was going in my stomach. When everything had disappeared, I felt much better. I put the fork down and wiped my mouth, hoping I wasn't smiling ridiculously at this change of fate.

I tried to stand up, but the pain in my back came back, and even though it was much less worse than before, it still forced me down. What was wrong with my back? I could see that my arm had been bandaged and cleaned, but my back… My wings! Scared of everyone looking at them oddly, I closed them tightly and tried to hide them by wrapping the pink blanket around me. I found this position very comfortable and, without me knowing after only a minute, I found myself snuggling in the blanket. So warm…

"There he is, Sir, and awake at that," a voice suddenly said from the other side of the room. Even though it was quiet and almost timid, my ears still caught it and I looked up.

There, at the door, were a strange fellow of a turquoise color wearing a strange mask and the golden knight of last time.

"Thank you, Sir Nonsurat," said the golden one, tapping the other on the shoulder before approaching my bed.

I had to gulp down my nervousness and hold the blanket higher to hide my face as I watched all his movements. He had no malice in his eyes, but I did not like to be so close to a Star Warrior…

"So, are you feeling better?" he asked me, like we were friends or something close like that.

I did not answer directly; I kept staring at him and I tried to look angry, but I failed miserably. He came up beside my bed and put a hand on the mattress, observing it intently before chuckling lightly.

"I never liked these beds," he chuckled. "I cut one in half one day. Never liked the color of the blankets. I see you like them, though."

I looked down at my blanket and I feared my face flushed, before looking away with a silly look. Why was he telling me these things? He was so… calm. It was strange, but I preferred this to being angry with me for doing nothing.

"What's your name?" he questioned, crossing his arms. "Sir Galacta told me you were called Knight, but, that's not a name… or is it?"

My face flushed again; crap, I was caught before even saying anything. Do something!

"Hum… My name… huh… I don't know."

I could feel him raise an eyebrow behind his helmet.

"You forgot?"

"I forgot everything… I don't know where I am from, nor do I know why I was in space. All I remember is Nightmare sending demons after me, but no more before that…"

"I see… Nonsurat! Come over here."

The other knight, Sir Nonsurat I guess, left his place at a computer and approached us.

"Yes, Sir?" he asked, his voice quiet. Good, he wasn't the big voice type…

"Examine his head. I think there might be an injury or something. He seems to have lost his memory."

"Yes, Sir…"

Before I could even react, the turquoise knight was bending my head so he could take a look and I didn't say anything, feeling his hands travel back and forth on my head, searching something to prove I was saying the truth.

"There's nothing, Sir, but you should look at this…" he said, worrying me once more.

The golden one took a step forward and looked at my head as well, and I heard him murmur:

"By Nova… What is that?"

"We should bring him to the Council, Sir," Nonsurat proposed, stepping back. "They will be happy to hear the news."

"Yes," the golden one agreed as well. "I shall go and tell them we are coming with him."

"Wait!" I stopped them, waving my hands. "What are you two talking about? Is there something wrong with me? What's wrong with my head? Did you see something?" I ran my stubby hand on my skin, trying to feel something, but there was nothing… I didn't understand.

"We will move you from here," the golden one announced as Nonsurat left us. "You'll come with me to a better place, trust me…"

I stayed silent a moment, and as he was about to leave me, I popped the question that has been nagging me since I woke up.

"Can I keep the blanket?"

He laughed.

I couldn't help but feel nervous. Yes, I had my blanket with me, but as I saw the great warship approach our vessel, I felt like I was not at the right place. There were tons of other Star Warriors in there… The golden knight, Sir Arthur he was called, said he had a surprise for me. Somehow, I thought this was an unpleasant surprise as I watched the great ship come closer and closer. It was big, bigger than I thought anything could possibly be, and it was shaped more like a floating city. It was all golden, and on one side there was a name carved on the ship. Hirondalio. It was a good name, for a ship…

It wasn't long for the vessel I was in to find the entrance to the Hirondalio and it passed right through the protective barrier that surrounded it, entering the hangar. The ship slowed down until it came to a stop, and it slowly came down to the ground. I saw Sir Arthur wave his hand at me and I followed him, the only one I trusted here. He was a nice fellow, for a Star Warrior. I was happy I had my armor back. My mask was broken, but it still hid the top of my face, and my gloves gave off the look that I had fingers, and that I was older than what I really was. One of my shoulder pads was loose, but it could still hold for a while. Sir Arthur stepped out of the ship and I heard clapping and cheering. He must be well known here… But, when I stepped out after him, I heard quite the opposite.

"Demon!"

"Prepare your weapons!"

"Don't let it approach the general!"

Many soldiers raised their weapons, be it bows or guns, and took me as a target. I gasped and froze in my tracks in front of the ship, holding my bundle of pink blanket close to me. Sir Arthur quickly stood in front of me and raised his hands to calm down his soldiers.

"Stop it! Drop your weapons, you lot!"

Apparently, there were some novice with them for one young soldier panicked and accidently fired the pistol he was holding. The gunshot rebounded on some walls and everyone got on the ground, gasping and yelling, and before I could even see it coming, the bullet implanted itself deep in my shoulder. At that moment, I swear the world around me turned red. Everyone disappeared and auras replaced them, blending in different colors, but the young one who had fired was red. My enemy. Dropping everything I held in my arms to the ground, my instincts took over and I screamed like a beast. My wings unfolded, the sharp claw at the tip shining, and I propelled myself toward my target. I heard a scream, soon followed by more yells, but I couldn't understand what I was doing. What was wrong with me?

When my vision faded back to normal, I was facing Sir Arthur and was growling at his face like a possessed beast. I squeaked out and back away, but his hands held me in place.

"It's alright," he told me gently. "Don't panic, everything's under control…"

My shoulder was aching, and the young soldier was farther behind Sir Arthur, hidden behind two rows of more warriors. Did I scare him? Well, he did shot me… Without saying anything, Sir Arthur took my arm and took me toward a door, which slid open as we approached. He took me in a never-ending hallway where many soldiers passed by us and saluted their leader, and Sir Arthur lead me to some great hall where there was nobody around. The place was big, and one whole wall was used as a window, which had a perfect view of the closest planet. The hall had one well-made fountain in its center and some buffet near the end of the room; it was probably some lounge where people could relax and get food after a battle, or something. Sir Arthur took me over to the fountain and took a deep breath, letting go of me. I looked around in amazement for a short moment, before looking at him again. I rubbed my injured arm.

"What happened back there?" I dared to ask him.

His gaze turned to me and his eyes softened. He gestured me to come closer, and when I did he took my arm to inspect my wound. I groaned in pain when he took out some strange instrument from his belt and dig in the wound, making me gasp.

"It is nothing," he told me. "This problem of yours will soon be under control. It is nothing to worry too much about."

I tried to believe his words and heaved a sigh of relief when the bullet was taken out of my shoulder. In a bloody drop it fell in his palm and he bandaged my shoulder right after. Why was he helping me like this? I didn't trust Star Warriors and yet he didn't stop helping me?

"Tonight you will speak with the Council," he announced, making sure my wound was sealed correctly.

"What is that?"

"The Council consists of five Elders here in the Galaxy Soldier Army. They are old leaders that cannot go to battle anymore, and when my turn will come I will join them. They are usually the last resort when an important decision must be made."

"Why must I go in front of them?" I asked him, rubbing my arm. "Is my problem this important?"

He stayed silent a moment, and he reached out in his white cape.

"You'll understand once you see them," he told me, handing me my pink blanket, which I quickly held on to. He chuckled. "In the mean time, I will give you a room so you can rest. This must be hard for you, this change of fate…"

Without waiting for any more questions on my part, he lead me farther in the ship.

My room wasn't bad. Not bad at all. It was small, but I liked it that way. I had a simple bed, where I put my precious blanket, an empty dresser, and a table. It was very simple, but I already liked it for some strange reasons. I tried out the bed; soft enough and not too hard. Perfect! For reasons I was not aware of, Sir Arthur had locked the door on his way out, so I was locked inside until he returned. I sighed and unfolded my wings, stretching them and testing them. I then saw what was wrong with my back. One of my wings had its membrane ripped. It stung painfully when I stretched it and I closed it back again. Better not move it for a while…

I went to the table and took a look at the things on it. There was some paper sheets, and a feather to write next to a small bowl of black ink. I had never learned how to write… at least, I didn't remember if I did. Taking the feather in my gloved hand, I opened the bowl and then sat down on the small chair in front of the table. I took one of the sheet and drew it closer to me. I thought I remembered seeing people do it before, or at least I had a feeling of déjà-vu… I dripped the tip of the feather in the ink bowl and watched in awe the small droplet of black fall on the sheet, staining it. Biting my lip in concentration, I put the feather on the sheet and tried to write. It was harder than what it seemed to be. People could write as easily as talking, then why couldn't I? I tried at first some letter. An M… By the stars, this was hard… Alright, a B then… Much worse. Sighing, I put the feather down. I would ask Sir Arthur how to do it later. Ink stained my gloves and black spots covered them, making me sigh with annoyance. It was hard to keep them clean.

Later on that day, I heard the door click. I turned my head just in time to see Sir Arthur open the door. He gestured me to come over.

"It's time, the Council is ready to receive you."

These people were… creepy. Simply creepy. I already didn't like them. They were five old warriors, four men and one woman, each of a different species. Even though they held great wisdom in their eyes and war scars, they spooked the hell out of me. The place I was taken to looked like a judging place. The Elders were all behind a wooden desk on an elevated platform at the end of the room and I was in the very center of the place, surrounded by steps were a sort of jury sat near the walls of the circular room. Sir Arthur was among them. The lights closed, and only one remained open, the one above me, making me the only one visible and preventing me to see the others around me. Nervous, I just wanted to dig a hole and hide inside, or at least have my blanket with me, but I couldn't. I was here for a reason, and I would know what it is. One of the Elders loudly tapped the desk, bringing silence in the room.

"We all know why we are here," an old voice said, echoing around in my ears forcefully despite its age.

"Arthur, tell us everything," another spoke, this time the woman I thought. "How and where did you find this one?"

"Why did you insist on bringing him here? You know how dangerous he is. We heard what happened when he arrived."

"My Lords," I heard Sir Arthur begin from the shadows. "My soldiers saw him descend from space onto the planet Kristalliu, and reported seeing demons retreat back in space. Sergeant Galacta Knight brought him back to the camp, where it was proved that this young one had lost his memory."

"Memory loss, you say?" It was the same voice of the beginning. Another, more rasped and older, spoke up, making goosebumps run down my back.

"And what do you want us to do with an amnesia-struck run-away? He can fall back into his primary ways anytime, you are aware of that."

"Yes, My Lord, I know. But I will train him."

Train me? Why?

"How absurd!" the woman exclaimed. "Arthur, you don't have any time to loose with a demon. Besides, you already have an apprentice, no need to busy yourself with another."

"You, the demon," the first voice pronounced loudly, making me almost gasp. "What do you have to say of this?"

I stayed silent a moment, not knowing what to say or what to do. Sir Arthur wanted to train me. He was the only one worth trusting here in this place full of Star Warriors, after all…

"I… I have… nothing to say of this." A moment of silence passed and I fiddled with my ink-soaked gloves. "I mean, it's okay if he wants to train me. After all, I have nothing. That, or just let me go."

Someone chuckled in the Elders and I tried to see whom but the light above me prevented my eyes to adjust.

"Release you?" the voice chuckled. "That would be most ridiculous. Boy, you don't seem to understand what you are, but that is fine. You don't need to know. Arthur, you may take him away. We will give our verdict when we'll see what he is able to do."

I don't know whether I should have felt relieved or scared when all the lights came back and that I could see everyone stand up. Sir Arthur descended the stairs and walked up to me, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Come. You begin tonight."


	4. Chapter 4

I don't know what these warriors were made of, but I was definitely not like them. Sir Arthur had another recruit he was taking care of; a strange man called Jecra. He was a Star Warrior too, and he already earned himself the title of 'Sir' after many battles he had won. He treated me like a kid when Sir Arthur had his back turned. I'll admit I was still pretty young for my kind, but it didn't permit him to talk to me like this! We were on the same level, both under Sir Arthur's wing, yet I was still many miles under him…

In battles, it was even worse. Even though it felt somewhat familiar to hold a sword, to feel the cold metal of the handle on my stubby little hand, this Star Warrior, this sorry excuse for a 'chivalrous knight', had no mercy for me.

"Wait, wait, wait! Stop it!" Sir Arthur cried out, stopping us both. We were dueling, and Jecra had almost killed me. Again. "Jecra," he began, turning to him with his arms crossed, "you're way too harsh in your moves; it prevents you from moving as freely as you should." He turned to me. "Meta-" Again. He gave me this name a few days ago. He got tired of calling me 'Hey!'. "Try to hold your sword a bit more tightly, you almost dropped it three times in five minutes. In a real battle, such an error could cost your life. Also, can you not control those wings of yours? They seem to get in your way."

He was right. More than once I tripped over my overgrown wings, which touched the ground they were so big. It wasn't my fault; I didn't even know why I had them. They were just in my way. Sir Arthur let us take a break and I immediately went to the other side of the room, to sit in a corner. I didn't want to stay near this blonde man… His words were like swords whenever he would address me. These swords planted deep into my back and he knew it, I was sure.

To set my panicking mind to rest, I took out the book Sir Arthur gave me; he wanted me to learn quickly how to read, saying it was always of great use. I would learn to write later, he told me. The book seemed strange at first; the title was "The Chronicles of the Forgotten Warrior". But it was good. Very good, even. It spoke of a man without a name, going out to the world and trying to find a way to his destiny through trials and great tasks. What would people call a typical story was in fact a great lesson: I was told the man who wrote this was a great strategist; he was on this ship! I needed to find him. He was called… I took a look at the cover. Ah! S.D. Great, that helped me… They were probably a thousand of S.D. here in this ship!

"Oh well," I told myself. "I'll ask Sir Arthur later. Now where was I…? Ah! He… dis… coverrred… that he…"

My reading continued for ten more minutes, then I looked up when my master called me; oh no! Jecra was looking at me with those eyes! He probably found a new way to torture me during training…

I couldn't sleep. I just couldn't. My body was still sore from today's training and I resisted the urge to go see Sir Arthur; I found him very calming, probably since he was the only one I knew here. Oh yeah, there was this little guy that called himself Sailor Waddle Dee, but he was surely sleeping at this hour. I hoisted myself out of bed and went outside. The hallway was cold and silent, and all the lights were closed. Only the faint rumbling of the engines could be heard. Sighing, I ventured out to explore, hoping to find some comfort somewhere. I went to the main room, where the fountain had stopped flowing for the nighttime. I marveled at the sight of space and it's infinity, outside the big dome-like window. I sat down at the bench near the fountain and took out my book. I had to know what happened next to that hero…

It wasn't long for a strange noise to disturb me. I heard a loud _thud!_ and a grunt soon followed, along with muttered curses. I stood up and looked around. No one. Other _thuds_ came up to my ears and I followed them. They were just behind the fountain, where I saw a man crouched down in a small shaft filled with electric cords. The man was of my kind, a dark crimson, almost purple, with brown hair tied up in a ponytail. He put his working glasses up on his head and scratched his skull, puzzled. He took notice of my presence and turned to face me, surprised.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "It's just you… I thought it was someone else… So, what brings you here?"

I remained silent and observed him. He wasn't wearing a mask, and his eyes were golden, a little narrowed. I didn't like to talk, and my reasons remained unknown, even to me. The man stared, muttered a:

"Creepy stare from creepy kid…"

And got back to work. For a few more minutes I remained standing there, not saying anything, just observing. Was he repairing the fountain? I looked up at it, and the man spoke:

"You still there? I see… I don't mind the company, really. There's not really anyone at night, when I work… Got a name, kid?"

I softly cleared my throat, finally finding the guts to answer this night owl.

"Hum… Meta…"

The man turned around; his dark yellow eyes scanned me quickly.

"Ah!" he exclaimed. "I heard about you. That newcomer that was found in some woods, heh?"

I nodded, not sure if it was a good thing or not. The man shook his head, and then took notice of my eyes going up to the fountain.

"You like it?" he asked me without turning from the door. "I made it. My most precious piece of work."

My jaw dropped.

"You made it?!"

He chuckled lightly and stood up, staring up at the piece of art.

"Yes. Out of Dark Diamond, the hardest mineral on my home planet."

"Dark?" I repeated. But the fountain was pure white…

"Yes, dark. When you melt it, it takes on a white color. They say this type of mineral purifies the mind, or something like that… On this ship, where death and war rage and live on, I thought it would be perfect. Took me two years to make it."

I looked up and awed at it in wonder. Even during war, this one man took the time to build something so precious, so beautiful… Well, not all Star Warriors are obsessed with war, after all. The man looked down at me and noticed my book. He gestured toward it, and, guessing he wanted to see, I handed it to him. He took his time observing it, then softly chuckled; he put it back down on my open palms.

"Nice choice of author. His first book, you know."

"You know who wrote it?"

He nodded. My jaw dropped. Finally, someone would tell me! I resisted the urge to glomp him and stayed in place, a wide smile across my face.

"Please, tell me! I need to meet him, I just love his book! And Sir Arthur told me he is a strategist, even!"

"Was a strategist," he interrupted. He was looking up thoughtfully at the fountain. "Now, all he does of his days is working on metal scraps and junk, and creating during the night. And guess what? He's the one to thank for the new engine of this ship, and what next? Nobody even knows of this detail, as important as it may be…"

He sighed and put down the wires he had been holding on to, then sat down on the fountain, his shoulders seeming so heavy. I awed at him. Could he be…? He had to be, otherwise how could he know of all this? I took a step toward him.

"Hum… Sir? Can you tell me your name?"

He looked up at me, surprised. He remained silent a moment, then smiled and held out his oil soaked glove to me, which I shook eagerly.

"Name's Dragato. Now, you better get to bed, kid. I don't think Sir Arthur will be gentle with you tomorrow in your training, no?"

I gasped. The training! Again, tomorrow! I gasped a goodnight and quickly ran out of the main room, barely noticing that this name was placing itself in my mind. Dragato… S.D. … Sir Dragato…

It was an accident… I swear it was an accident! Six months had passed since my arrival here, and my training was going well. I had went to Sir Arthur's office, to ask him when I would go on my first mission, when I heard those voices inside…

"Arthur, you must be joking! You can't possibly imagine such a thing!"

"Dragato… Please, don't push me deeper…"

He sounded so tired, so sad… I had never heard him talk like that.

"But you are making a terrible mistake! He is not your son! He is not Meta, nor will he replace your wife. You cannot love her through him! One day, he'll have to leave this base and go make his own life, somewhere far from war! Keeping a little kid like him here is torture… Don't you understand?"

"I didn't say… that I loved her throu-"

"She won't come back."

Silence ensued, with only my beating heart sounding in my ears. What were they talking about…?

"Plus, that kid is a demon-beast…"

"Meta is not a demon-beast!"

I gasped. They were talking about me! What did they mean by a demon? Was I really…? I heard some footsteps inside.

"I'll let you think of this. Don't think I'm against you, I just want you to understand these important matters."

The doorknob turned, and me as well. I ran down the hallway, barely hearing Sir Dragato saying my name in surprise. I didn't care. They all thought I was a demon-beast! That's why most of the soldiers always cast murder glares at me! I ran and ran until my breath caught up to me, and I collapsed in the training room, exhausted. I was a demon… A monster… Those wings… So that's where they were from. But… I didn't remember anything…

_"Open your mind, boy… Let the truth flow…"_

I looked around, panicking. Who just spoke? That voice was so dark… so terrible… My whole body started to tremble, without my mind realizing it. I was so scared… A laugh echoed in my mind, and I held my head in pain.

Then, a soft glove touched my back. I whirled around, opening my wings in defense, pushing a tall blonde man back. Jecra… I really didn't need him right now! He looked confused, with… worry on his face? Why was he worried for me?

"Are you okay?" he asked me softly. "I heard you scream, and I came here, and you were convulsing… You're awfully pale…"

I didn't answer. My vision went dark, and I fell at his feet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Hey. You all mad? You can be mad. I totally forgot about this story, but I still have the plan for it, so here it is! Gosh, it's been a while…**

** PS of ps-es: Hey. I rewrote some important parts of the other chapters, so you might want to read it all before reading this chapter. Thank you.**

When light pierced my eyelids, it wasn't long for me to realize I wasn't in my room. The walls, the furniture, everything was different. Especially that smell. That horrible stench… It smelled like someone had forgotten some food on the table for weeks! Whose room was I in anyway? As I tried to stand on my elbows for support, I groaned, having slept on my wings; they were now all wrinkly, just the way it hurt annoyingly. A blonde mass suddenly came in my face and tall, worried eyes stared at me, making me gasp in shock. As a reflex, I struck out with my foot, pushing the man away from me.

"Whoa, whoa!" he cried out, dodging the hit by a hair. I nearly hit his nose. "Calm down, it's me, Jecra!"

"You…"

I held my head, feeling a sudden pain run down from my brain to the bottom of my spine. His hand gently pressed down on my back, and two fingers pressed at a certain place that suddenly made all the pain go away. I looked up at him in surprise, not understanding why he would do such a thing for me. I still hated him! He was supposed to be looking for my death! I saw it in his gaze everytime he looked at me during training…

"You're pretty nervous," he said casually, scratching his messed up hair. "I inspected you while you were out and all your muscles are horribly tensed up. No wonder you feel pretty weak… You okay though?"

I simply stared at him, astonished. He was… actually worried about me? I never thought this day would come. However, the small joy this news brought me was soon replaced with anger and confusion as the souvenirs came back. They all thought I was a demon… Why? Was there a proof? Did Jecra think so as well, like everyone else? He probably did… I ran a hand down my head, and I suddenly realized something. My head! Sir Arthur had seen something on my head! But I had forgotten about this… Stupid Meta! Stupid memory!

"Quick! Look at my head!"

Jecra gave me a weird look, wondering about this sudden outburst.

"Wha…"

"No time for questions! Just look at my head and tell me what you see!"

He stood there a moment, then shrugged and walked over, tilting my head so he could see properly. I felt his hands travel on my skin, searching for anything unusual, and he suddenly froze.

"What in Nova is that…" I heard him mumble, astonished.

"Describe it to me."

"It's… kind of weird. It looks like the logo of Holy Nightmare Corporation… A tattoo of some sort. It's small though…"

I froze. What? Holy Nightmare… Corporation? So… it _was_ true… But why didn't I remember? Why couldn't I remember? Why was I far away from my place of birth? Was I supposed to be a spy? Was I just a time-bomb, slowly ticking away until the demon came back in full force? Too many questions, not a single answer… Why had everyone hid it from me? Was I this expendable…? What about what Sir Dragato was telling Sir Arthur? About his son? Was that why… he named me Meta? This was too much…

"You okay there?" Jecra asked me, walking back in front. "You don't look too good…"

"I don't look good?" I repeated, looking up at him. "I think you would look the same if you just learned that you were a demon, idiot!"

"…You didn't know?"

…He must have been kidding me right now.

"What do you… mean?" I asked. "Everyone… knew?"

"Have you ever looked at yourself in a mirror?"

What kind of question was that? Of course I did! I answered him promptly, then asked:

"Why?"

"It's your eyes, kid. There is blood flowing in them."

…So that was why…

"But… what about Sir Galacta? Aren't his eyes red as well?"

"It's not the same," he answered, shaking his head. "His are natural. Yours… not really."

But… this wasn't fair… I was a demon… For a brief moment, however short it was, I felt a strong push in my guts, almost telling me to go back home. The instant the thought appeared, something brushed it aside. I couldn't go back. I had done something. What? I didn't know. Now that I thought this over, in the silence that extended between me and the blond man, it didn't change what the others thought of me. There were some nice people. I could still do things to make the others change their mind about me. I was a demon among angels. Maybe… I could earn my place. I sighed deeply, and looked up again at Jecra. He had sat down on a backward chair in front and was waiting, his arms crossed on the back of the chair.

"You okay?" he asked. "You took it rather well."

"Can you… help me get better with a sword?"

He looked surprised for a moment, then, to my own surprise, he offered a small smile. He held out his hand.

"Alright! Before we do anything, you should go rest in your room. I'll tell Sir Arthur you're unable to train today."

"Thanks… Sincerely."

I guess he wasn't what he appeared to be… Maybe he had his reasons to act like this with me. Had he thought that, since I was a demon, I knew it already? That I was already mentally strong enough to uphold his treatments? I never knew. I never asked him, nor had I got the chance to.

Since that day, I… guess I changed. I focused more on my training and I guess I mentally grew up, even if just a notch. It was still enough to make a difference. I remember that the day after, when I met Sir Arthur, he wouldn't look at me directly. It was subtle, very even, but I noticed it. Maybe he was ashamed. But, the more I thought it over, the less I cared. Sir Arthur had given me a name. Whether it was really his son's name or not mattered not for me. I was just grateful for it. I didn't know what my real demon name was, but I didn't care for that either. I was living with the Star Warriors now. I could only laugh about fate's irony. But still… what exactly had drove me away? Was I a traitor? A failure?

When I asked Sir Arthur one day about demon in exile, he told me:

"They usually don't come here. Whether it is because they already have another destination or because they don't have the time, we don't know."

"Don't have the time?"

"Exiled demon-beasts are pursued until they are dead. If they escape, they are free. If not… well, we wouldn't have met."

It explained my pursuers… but nothing else. I decided to just wait.

And soon enough, my prayers were answered. My very first mission outside the HQ. I don't know why I was so ecstatic. Was it because I would be able to leave? Or just because I would see something else? I didn't know, but I couldn't wait, and the day of departure couldn't come any faster. It wasn't a complicated mission. We would just need to go down on a planet that was recently saved from demon-beasts and help the smaller villages. It was more of a rescue mission, but I still liked it. I would be able to be… useful. Before we embarked on the vessel that would take us there, Sir Arthur came up to me; he wasn't coming, for he had other important things to do. He handed me something wrapped in a blue cloth…

"I would like you to have this," he told me with a small smile and eyes that read a distant solitude. "It belonged to my son. It should be your size and should be pretty useful if you run into any trouble."

I could only stare at the hidden object, mouth agape.

"I… I can't possibly…"

"It is not yours to refuse, but mine to give," he said, his smile widening a little. "You don't have to wear it if you don't like it. I just want you to have it."

He had to leave before I could open the present, so I took it inside the ship as my group entered. I sat down on one of the seats and tied my belt, holding the present on my 'knees'. There were a dozen soldiers with me, most of them I already knew. Men and women from distant planets, all reunited together… Jecra sat across from me and he gestured toward my extra package.

"What is that?"

"I don't know," I answered. "Sir Arthur gave it to me before we left."

Without waiting more, I unwrapped the blue cloth, which quite appeared to be a cape… and under it was something even better. A metal mask. It was light in my hands, round to shape my face, and had a V visor on its center. There were small dents here and there, but otherwise it looked almost unused. How old had his son been when…? I found myself staring at the mask, while the others around me almost marvelled about it and how it came from our leader. So Sir Arthur really saw his son in me… How did he look like? And his wife? How had they…? I never knew. I never dared to ask such a personal question. The only image I ever had of Sir Arthur's son was my reflection in a mirror, wearing the mask to hide my eyes and the cape to hide my wings.

"You know," Jecra said as I put on the mask. "It kinda suits- Oh!"

I looked up, having just put on the mask.

"What?"

Not only he, but everyone else was staring at me. Was the mask ugly on me?

"Dude!" a man a little younger than Jecra said in disbelief. "Your eyes!"

"What about them?" I replied, completely oblivious.

The only thing I first realized was that my voice was slightly muffled by the mask. One of the women among us took out her bag and shuffled in it a moment, until she took out a small pocket mirror. She walked over and handed it to me, so I took a quick look. My eyes… Not only did I now look more intimidating than I had thought, my eyes… my bloodshot eyes… They were golden. Golden! What… sorcery was this? Silently, I handed the mirror back to her, so she could go back to her seat with a satisfied smile. I quickly took the mask off and inspected it closer. There was nothing that could have permitted this miracle… Nothing.

We landed on the planet a few hours later. This part of the world seemed like a paradise. The land was stricken with thousands rivers and seas, and we were to help the people living on the land. The temperature was perfect, even a little fresher than I thought it would be. It had been so long now since I walked on land… The grass was tall and fresh, everything was beautiful. We walked out of the beach we had landed on and followed the road. The more we walked, the more I felt… sad. Things happened here… As we marched on in silence, I looked down at the closest stream. It was poisoned by blood, subtly blending in with the water. There were no fish, and insects wouldn't land on its surface. My skilled nose detected even the slightest drop leading up the stream to a biger river.

We arrived in the village. And I felt my shoulders drop with a sudden weight. All around us… The people here were still burying their dead. The river bank had yet to be cleaned, and two people were hoisting a swelled up body out of the water. I sighed and followed the others, relieved that the mask hid my eyes. The sight of another demon would have scared the villagers into destroying me. Probably. I followed the others closely as the leader of our group went to talk with the village elder, an old woman who had to walk using a cane. The people here were strange, but marvelling in their own way. They looked like tall birds with a more human look to their faces. Their fingers were almost hidden underneath the feathers covering their arms. The old woman, whose white hair was tied up in many small braids, told our leader something in their native tongue, and he turned to us.

"Alright ladies," he called out, "you'll just have to disperse and help as much as you can. Rebuild houses, clean the mess or heal the injured – do what you please. We leave in a month, so make yourselves at home."

I remember the first thing I did on this mission. It was my very first act as a GSA warrior. I walked up in the depths of the village, where the river turned into a lake, and I saw a woman and her young daughter trying to pull a large piece of broken roof off of their destroyed house. I quickly walked over and, without a word, started pulling with them. We managed to pull it out, and the beam fell to the ground with a thud. I helped for two hours on this house, and soon it was cleaned of the mess, even though it still needed to be repaired. Breathing out in relief, the woman stared at me and said, in the commercial language:

"Thank you Star Warrior! Thank you for your help."

With her daughter in synch, they both leaned forward, holding out a wing like a veil. I simply stood there, eyes widened. I wasn't a Star Warrior… but it felt good.


	6. Chapter 6

That day, we had to leave for an important mission. A full scale battle raged on on Freezy Star; demons, in great numbers, trying to take over our base of operation there. Nightmare wouldn't stop until this planet was his. Our soldiers there, as well as the natives, were calling for reinforcements, and Sir Arthur responded. We left barely an hour after we were told the news. Jecra seemed rather ecstatic. We were herded into a ship that would take us there and, as it followed the fleet, Jecra stood there, punching the air, saying:

"This is going to be pretty rough!"

"Then why are you so happy about it?" Sir Lance asked him, polishing his weapon.

Jecra turned to him, but before he could answer, a female of his species spoke up, as if in a mocking manner. This was Lady Garlude.

"He's all bouncy because he's still a little kid that thinks we're going out to play in the park."

Everyone looked at her, and as Jecra answered with the same mocking tone, I smirked. Lady Garlude was a very skilled warrior. From what I gathered, she had a child waiting for her at home. I believe it may explain why she took things more seriously. It was hard to be a mother far away and risk her life in every battle, in hopes of coming back to see her daughter every once in a while… I understood that and respected her because of it.

I looked down at the mask Sir Arthur gave to me ten years ago. Ten years… Things had changed a lot. My face reflected off the polished surface of the mask, and my red eyes stared back at me. Things were different. Soon enough, we were in orbit above Freezy Star. I strapped the mask on tightly and secured the belt around my waist as the ship descended through the atmosphere. Everything was trembling. The eyes of all the soldiers were staring right ahead at nothing, at the upcoming fight. Soon the trembling reduced, and they all stood up, facing the exit door. I did the same, my hand clenching my sword… Then, the ship had one last violent tremor, and the door slid open. Our sergeant moved his arm quickly, calling out:

"Alright guys, go, go, go!"

We were right in the middle of the battlefield. I could only run out with all the others into the freezing cold of this planet. We were lucky there wasn't any storm, but so were the demons. They were running everywhere, monsters slashing, roaring, leaping and biting. It wasn't long before I lost sight of the others from my team. The thrill of the fight… I knew the demon in me liked seeing the blood spill before my eyes, stain my hands and spoil the snow. But I wasn't like that anymore. I didn't like it. The sight of the blood on my hands only confirmed that these demons were brainless pawns.

As I was finishing off one nasty spiked monster, I heard something… familiar. A roar, very much like that of an angry banshee or lion, resounded as if from far away. I turned and saw it. A wildfire, spreading on the melting ice. I couldn't see behind it, but it was evident that a demon was responsible for this. Things were thrown from behind, like dried grass or igniters, and they only helped spreading the fire. Fireballs erupted out and exploded all around me, hiting one soldier after the other. I could only stand there and watch it come closer and closer. That roar… They sounded like words to me, but I didn't understand them. At least, not anymore. When the ice melted and the barren earth underneath was shown, the beast jumped through its own wall of fire and roared out its anger. It was an immensely large wolf, its fur as red as the flames pouring out of its mouth, with two rows of spikes going down its back. Its legs, short, each had long and sharp claws digging in the ground, and as it lifted its fiery gaze upon me, the beast stood up on its hind legs, long teeth showing and the gem on its forehead glowing in anticipation. A low growl escaped its throat…

I knew this wasn't the first time I met this demon-beast. But, there was no way for me to remember. Not now. The wolf growled some more, readied itself, then leaped, claws stretched out. I was ready for it: I held my sword in one hand and ran toward it, yelling out a battle cry. I held it in front of me at the last moment and blocked the claws from one paw, but the others continued and easily pierced my arm. The adrenaline coursing through me obliterated the pain, but it didn't stop the weight of the beast. I fell on my back, holding back the claws from reaching the slit of my mask. It drew its large head back, ears flattened, opened its jaws… I saw the fire swirling at the back of this gigantic maw… No. I wouldn't die burned to a crisp like this, right now.

In one sudden and swift movement, I forced my wings out from under me and they unfurled with all of their might. I used their claws to cling to the wolf, taking it by surprise so much it drew back, stopping mid-way in its attack. The claws of my wings still stuck in its flesh, it lifted me off the ground with it, and I took this very moment to hurl myself against its shoulder. I moved my sword upside down and it easily pierced the flesh. As blood spewed out, the demon-beast roared out like an angered cat and turned around on itself, biting the air as it tried to to catch me. I made the mistake of thinking that I was safe there. I made the mistake of underestimating that beast, just like that beast had underestimated me. It wasn't playing anymore.

As it kept turning around like a dog after its tail, the monster spewed out flames after flames, burning the ground all around us. My foot was caught in the fire at some point and the sudden pain made one of my wing tips loose its grip: the demon-beast didn't hesitate, and bit down on it. My wing was ripped apart… It was so sudden, I could only close my eyes and wait for it to end. My hands lost their grip on the beast's fur and my body was hurled all around, following the monster's head as it continued tearing away at my wing. I couldn't see anything that was happening. I struggled as wildly as I could, and in my moves, I slashed my blade all across the monster's face. In a roar, it let go of me, and the second my feet touched the ground, I leaped away from the fires engulfing us. I landed in the snow, and my burned foot stung painfully on the sudden change of temperatures. I turned around and saw the beast holding its face with its front paws; its tail was wagging furiously behind it and the flames seemed almost absorbed by its body. When it lifted its face, teeth showing, there remained a scratch along its face, but no more blood… It had healed!

I stood there in a fighting stance, ready to defend myself, and so did the demon-beast. However, I soon heard noises all around me: armor clicking, swords being drawn, orders being shouted. Upon looking, the first person I saw was Jecra, by my side.

"Let's get rid of this guy!" he told me. "You go back to the ship before you lose your wing!"

"No," I answered seriously. "I'm staying. I can still fight."

He looked back at me for a quick second, then looked back at the demon-beast, who was growling at all of us in anger and hatred.

"Alright, but stay beside me."

Everyone surrounded the beast, and even it looked like it knew it was way outnumbered. It looked back at me, licking the blood still present on its jaws, then turned around and left. Everyone ran after it to try and stop it for good, but I remained there. It was gone, but not forever. It will come back.

The battle had calmed. I was alone in this area. Alone with corpses, corpses from both sides. Our base was saved, and so were the natives, but to a great price. I turned around slowly to look all around carefully. Night was falling, as the white sky was darkening at a considerably fast pace. I sheathed my sword and started the trek back to the base, where we were told to go should the battle be won. When I started seeing other soldiers heading the same way, I began to feel more at ease, and the adrenaline all disappeared. The pain, however, soon came back to hunt me, and I then realized, with a quick look, how horrible my wounds were. My foot, burned, was growing blisters and pus, and my wing, well, it would be simple enough to say the membrane would take a while before growing back. My arm, where the claws of the beast had dug, was numb and hung down uselessly at my side, the blood dripping down my hand and soaking my glove. Feeling a little faint, I made my way to the hospital wing of the base, and of course, it was full. While I was being given a quick bandage, desinfectant and a few pain-killers, I saw it…

Sir Arthur was gravely injured during the battle. I saw him pass by in the corridor, lying on a stretcher, surrounded by many medics who shouted for people to get out of the way. I didn't know how to react at first. Sir Arthur, the greatest warrior in the Galaxy Soldier Army, defeated in battle? What monster did this to him? What could possibly be stronger than him? I could only sit there and wonder…

Time passed. All the injured were taken back to the HQ. I retrieved my room, and I was glad to, but somehow my thoughts kept coming back to Sir Arthur. I owed this man my life… So, despite the nurse's advice not to leave my bed because of my foot, I went to visit him in the hospital wing, quite a few times, even if just to see how he was doing. His body was broken, his skin burned, so he was barely recognizable in the first days under all of his bandages and covers. He was unconscious most of the time during my visits, but sometimes I caught him awake: extremely tired, but awake. When I asked him what had happened, he muttered these words:

"I don't know… It was hiding… I was caught… in a tornado… of swords and fire… I don't… understand… So tired…"

He started caughting, and the nurse told me to leave.

Whenever I slept, I had to do it on my belly because of my wing. Since I couldn't do any training or much things, I looked through my little library. Over the years, I collected many books from around the universe, and I grew to love reading. While looking around, I came upon the very first book I had read… _The Chronicles of the Forgotten Warrior. _Yes, I remembered that book… Written by Sir Dragato. I pulled the book out. Maybe I could read it again. Understand what I hadn't understood through my first read. That night, I walked out of my room, for it was getting hot in here, and silently made my way out to the main room of the HQ. The fountain, as beautiful and clean as the first time I saw it, was still there. Nostalgic, I went and sat down on the closest bench. I opened the book…

"Well, it's been a while, kid!"

I turned back. Coming out of the cafeteria, Sir Dragato was holding a steaming cup of coffee. Its harsh smell reached me and made my nose cringe a little. However, I smiled as well. Fate… Here you go again, old friend.

"So, what brings you here tonight?" he asked as he walked over to stand next to me. "Shouldn't you be in bed, healing those injuries of yours?"

I shrugged, watching him sit next to me, then answered:

"I don't feel like sleeping tonight. I came here to read. Those wounds will heal by themselves soon enough."

"I wouldn't say that," he said gravely. "I wasn't in that fight, but from what I've heard, you stood up to a Wolfwrath all on your own. Pretty impressive if you ask me."

"Wol… Wolf…wrath?"

That name… How… familiar…

"Yeah," he said, looking out to space. "They say Nightmare made it out of the fires of Hell itself…"

Hell, uh…? Well, it explained the flames and the banshee shrieks.

"You did good out there," he told me. "Not many are able to injure that thing."

"Do you know what attacked Sir Arthur?" I asked suddenly, feeling curious about this man's knowledge.

He didn't say anything for a moment, so I looked over to him. He was staring ahead, eyes narrowed, lips pursed as if thinking hard. Finally, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't. I was told about what happened to him, but there are no demon-beasts that I know of that are able of both camouflage and devastating attacks like these. Maybe Nightmare is inovating… If it is so, it's not a good thing for us. Arthur's our best warrior. We're destined for decline if Nightmare's made demons stronger than him."

I could only agree with him, as I thought back to my fight with the Wolfwrath. If I could beat that thing, it would be proof that I was strong enough. Maybe it would be proof to everyone that the Galaxy Soldier Army was not destined to be destroyed. Nightmare would see.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: Hi there. My stories are still alive, I'm just awfully slow. Have a good read!**

It would be an understatement to say that everyone was astonished, surprised, by our leader's wounds. Very few demon-beasts, up until now, in the GSA history, had been able to harm this fine warrior in such a terrible manner, or, from what I've been told, his predecessors. Hence the diversed reactions throughout the base. People were beginning to fear what Nightmare had in store for us… In the passing months, my own wounds healed, and I was able to return to the battlefield with my comrades. It seemed to me that the number of battles had increased, as we were close to the ennemy's conquered space, but still in our territory. Or rather, the Star Warriors' territory, for I never could say it was mine. I didn't really know where I belonged, yet… I felt at home with my friends and companions, but my eyes, my reflection in the mirror, the wings on my back… everything was there to remind me of my origins. So, no, I was not a Star Warrior, and I would never be.

This was still strange, however, what I felt each time I slayed a demon-beast. It felt like I was drinking a horrible mixture, a putrid poison that seeped into the bowels of my being, darknening my so-called soul one demon after the other. But… on the other hand, there was also this feeling of great satisfaction flowing in me each time a demon's life ended. I was avenging a mortal's death. All those who were slaughtered in the name of my old master's nightmarish goal, I was avenging their lost souls, their lost voices, reduced to whispers in the silence after a bloodbath. Yet, I remained a demon-beast myself.

This world was not mine to protect, but the other side was not one I wanted to fight for either. As confused as I was, I was in the right place, the only place that needed, or wanted my presence.

I came back from a rather small battle, exactly four months after Sir Arthur was injured. This battle had been easy; we were able to get rid of the menace in the afflicted city, hiding in the sewers and preparing an attack. The natives had been lucky to witness proofs of their presence before the actual attack. In the trip back to the HQ, Jecra sneezed rather loudly and rubbed his nose with his arm.

"By Nova, that stench!" he exclaimed. "It's burning my eyes!"

I couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"It is quite gruesome a smell," I answered. "This is what happens when you fall in the waters of the sewers."

"I didn't see that gap!" he protested, resulting in many laughs from the others around him.

It was like someone suddenly slapped me in the face with a chair. I didn't know why I didn't realize it sooner. Yes, this was where I was needed. I was not here because I picked a side, I was here because I felt good. Had I felt good in my previous life? Before the memories were taken from me, had I been happy as well? There was no way to know, but… I didn't want to know either.

We came back an hour later. Upon coming out of the ship, I unstrapped my mask, which I had made an habit of wearing quite often even between battles. I guess it grew up to me. As I breathed out deeply and rubbed my tired eyes, I saw, on the other side of the hangar, Sir Arthur, up and about, speaking with Jecra. He was not wearing his usual armor and was still wrapped in bandages all around his round form, there was also a nurse, not far behind, scribbling notes on a small pad, probably because he was not supposed to be out so soon. Even if I tried to block it, a small smile stretched the right side of my lips upward. If he was up, he was out of danger. I honestly didn't know what it was in that man that calmed me this much. Ever since the first time, his presence had been… relaxing. Even now, seeing him alive and well relieved my heart.

I walked over to them as I saw Jecra walk away after a quick salute, probably listening to a particular order. I honestly hoped it was to take a shower. Sir Arthur turned over to me and his smile seemed to brighten. His moves were slow as he held up his arms and briefly hugged me. Very few of his skin was shown, so I didn't insist on the welcoming hug, for I wished not to hurt him and the nurse was giving me a weird look.

"Ah, Meta!" he greeted me cheerfully. His voice was definitely healthier. "I heard your mission went quite well, even if a bit smelly."

I couldn't stop that chuckle from escaping me, and I replied:

"Yes, Sir, it did went quite well, to borrow your words. Luckily, not all of us fell in the foul waters of the sewers. I am happy to see you well, Sir. I didn't know you were already able to leave the hospital wing."

His smile widened, as if he was restraining from laughing.

"No need to speak so formally with me, boy! In a normal situation, I am supposed to stay in bed, but I needed to breathe some fresh air."

He leaned forward and, holding his hand close to his mouth, whispered:

"This is why Miss Ana over there watches me… I think I am stressing her out…"

I tried to be subtle and look over his shoulder over at the nurse: despite her head tilted toward her notepad, her eyes were up and watching us closely. I looked back down. She was kind of scary, I wouldn't hide it. Sir Arthur's hand landed on my shoulder pad, and I looked back at him.

"Don't worry," he told me, "I'll soon be able to go back to my office. I just need some more rest."

I nodded in agreement:

"And we will find the demon-beast that did this. Nightmare will not be the strongest."

He smiled an odd smile, eyes softened and clear. His voice was but a whisper.

"Thank you son…"

I barely heard it come out of his mouth that he let go of my shoulder and scratched his head, adding quickly:

"Hum, I mean… You know what I meant. Just be careful if you meet that demon-beast. If it was able to do this to me, it can do this to you."

I nodded again. I didn't really mind these mistakes. I knew I looked like his son, and in his weakened state, I knew he could only think of his family. After all, he had been close to see them again.

I was unable to sleep that night. It was only a thought, a word, but it kept creeping into my mind, bringing weird images from the depths of my imagination. Family. Like I said, it was just a thought of some unreal future, of a forgotten past, of a possible present, but this thought was an overwhelming one, like fungus on a dead tree. Maybe I had parents of my own, waiting for me, looking for me… Did demon-beasts have parents? Or people that counted as substitutes? Or perhaps I had been all alone… These embarassments kept echoing in my head even though I tried to block them, so, sleepless, I got up from the chair I had been sitting in, at my small window, and walked outside, maskless. All I had was my cape, which I wrapped around me. It made me feel safe and warm, like… a mother's arms… Dear Nova, stop it with these thoughts! You don't have a family! So cut it out!

Angry with myself, I walked around, trying to clear my head. The silence was complete. The sound of the engines was muffled, for I was far from the machine rooms. The lights were dim, as a sign for soldiers coming back from missions that it was night-time in the HQ. It happened just… so fast. I was walking in a long corridor that had quite a few intersections, and I was quite slow, lost in my own thoughts. The distant memory of this day speaks to me of a shadow, fast as lightning for my tired eyes, passing in a single blink in the darkness of the distant hallway in front of me. If I had started sleepwalking, it woke me up instantly. Bloody hell, what was that? Lead by curiosity and nothing else, I quickened my pace to a slow run and silently made my way to the end of the hallway, where I turned in the direction the shadow had left. There was nothing… I looked at the post on the wall. _Medical Bay_. There was an arrow pointing in that direction. This time lead by something more, something much greater than mere curiosity, close to instincts, I silently ran down the hallway. I was armorless, so it was perfect to spy on whatever had passed by.

Soon, I arrived in the medical bay. There was no one awake at this hour, even the nurses had all retired to bed. Had it been Sir Arthur? Or maybe some injured soldier that wanted to get out badly? Neither of them made sense, not at such a ridiculous hour… I squinted my eyes to ajust to the darkness and silently made my way in the long corridors of the medical bay. I could hear some snores coming from the rooms, but nothing else. However… above the strong smell of medicine, there was something else… Something… Nightmare? Confused and worried, I quickened my pace toward Sir Arthur's room, listening carefully. Not a sound… The door was not closed completely, but there was no light either. Something was clearly not right. Careful, I tip-toed over to the half-open door to peek inside. I saw it again. A blur in the darkness, hovering over the bed… It raised a long, sharp object… A sword! An assassin! Grabbing the knife I always carried with me, I slid through the opening in the door and leaped, aiming at the supposed back of the thing. However, whatever it was spun around at the last second and deflected my blow with its weapon, before backing away toward the nearest wall. Two red eyes stared right back at my own, two gems glowing with madness. A demon assassin. Of course, why hadn't I thought of that? What was it doing here?

I lost no time in questioning, for the beast came rushing at me, still silent, and I could only leap out of the way at the last moment, sending it crashing in the door to open it fully. The noise must have woken a few for I heard a gasp from the bed, followed by Sir Arthur's surprised voice:

"Who's there?!"

"Sir, don't move!" I called, my turn to hover over the bed.

My vision was quickly adapting itself to the darkness, so I was able to make out a shape… but… it was impossible. The creature turned once more and, eyes blazing in the dark, used its own wings to hover above the ground. It pointed its sword at me, in complete silence still, before spinning around and rushing out of the door in the darkened hall, disapearing from sight. I flew after it: I couldn't leave an assassin to run around the ship freely! But, as I arrived in the hallway, the shadow was gone, without ever leaving a trace of its presence. I landed back on the ground, utterly confused. What was a demon doing in the ship? I turned back when the lights of the room behind me opened: the emergency call button next to the bed was shining bright, meaning that guards and doctors would soon come running.

"Meta? What in Hell was that thing?"

His voice was loud and angry, not even showing that he was gritting his teeth because of his wounds he had moved too quickly. I looked back at the hallway, putting my knife away.

"An assassin, Sir…"

I was unable to say more, as many people stormed the place. Watching as they secured the place and helped the wounded soldier get out of bed, I became aware of a sting on my cheek. My glove hovered over it and I looked at the blood it had absorbed: a cut… but… I had evaded the attack… I was sure of it.

There was now an assassin on the loose.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: So, uh, in this chapter, there's this fellow I named Sir Rapier. Actually, when you google image 'kirby star warriors' you can find one or two images of Meta Knight with other warriors from the show. Rapier is actually the little guy all covered in metal with a cool musketeer hat and some cool glasses thingy. He's awesome. Have a good read!**

I was in this room again. I never thought I would be back here. This time, there were only two of the Elders of the Council, and the lights were all on. There was no one else around, no generals, not even Sir Arthur.

"You say you were patrolling the halls when you saw that shadow?"

"Yes."

"And it didn't go into Sir Arthur's room by accident? It was heading there on purpose?"

"Yes."

"Despite the darkness, were you able to see how the beast looked like? A silhouette perhaps?"

"Yes. It was a little taller than me. It had wings, and it made no sound to recognize it."

"I see… What kind of weapon did it use?"

"A sword."

They asked me many questions, to get as many details as they could from what had happened two hours ago. I was getting quite tired, but it needed to be done. Now that all knew that there was an assassin, it would surely be found soon enough. A demon on the loose like this couldn't hide… could it? At least not for too long.

When I left the interrogation room, I felt somewhat relieved, but at the same time, there was a constant pressure on my heart that kept me wide awake that night. Every sound would make me jump and my hand would grasp my sword constantly. I could not rest. I knew the demon had seen me. Maybe I would be another target. I visisted Sir Arthur the next day. Making my way again through the halls toward the medical bay, I was on edge the whole time. My wings wrapped themselves around me all by themselves and I wouldn't take my mask off. I knew I needed to calm down, but the demon could have been anywhere… I could hear Sir Arthur's voice from the halls, barking orders, particularly a rather loud:

"By Nova, will you all leave me alone?! I'm fine!"

Figures the Council would have ordered soldiers to guard him after that. I walked past a patrol of soldiers silently and went toward his room. The medical bay was much more lively during the day. Nurses and doctors would run and walk here and there, some to emergencies and others to simple patients. With permission from the doctor, I entered the room. Sir Arthur was standing at the window, his back turned to me, hands meeting in his back. As a soldier to his superior, I saluted, even though he couldn't see me. He briefly turned his head to acknowledge my presence and he spoke first.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would come again. I haven't thanked you for what you did last night." He turned completely, face serious but eyes grateful. "Without you, I would have surely died by that assassin's blade. Now all that remains is to find him, whoever he is."

I nodded and tried to look calm by folding my wings back under my cape. Even here, I felt exposed…

"I did what I needed to, Sir," I said.

What I needed to do… For days, these words repeated themselves in my mind. I had to leave the base soon for an important mission in one of our colonies in the outer rings of a far away system. We were holding tight against Nightmare's forces on that star. Waves after waves of demon-beasts kept coming, one after the other, and the soldiers there needed our help. I was assigned to a group of strong warriors under the command of Sir Galacta, and I felt somewhat better on our way there. While some others looked nervous to go to battle, I was actually able to rest a bit before we landed. Once we were in orbit, Sir Galacta paced in front of us in the ship. I was always amazed by how easily this man could get his wings to flow down his back like a cape… I tried once, but the bones in my own were too fragile to bend them like this. For a moment, I didn't really listen to his speech. As I approached the higher ranks, I was getting used to the rules and the speeches. No, I was focusing on the wings… I had fought alonside Sir Galacta before. He was definitely a strong warrior and was probably holding back. However… I remembered how ferocious he was when fighting. The wings…

"We will send these demons to oblivion!" was his final words as he drew his sword and opened these wings, the soldiers drawing their own weapons for a war cry.

I blinked, and my sword remained in its sheath, and I stood there staring at those wings. Could it be…?

We landed very soon after that, and the second we were out we had to go and help the soldiers around the base. The number of demon-beasts in this place was astonishing, even with my personal experience. The attacks had been going on for so long, now the field was but a wasteland. And I was told that this star was filled with lush forests and lakes… Confident, I fought as best I could, and even forgot about the whole ordeal at the HQ. The fight went rather well, at least for me and most of my comrades. However… there was this one demon-beast, a swordsman, that was very quick on its feet and kept running away from me before I could end it. Frustrated, I couldn't leave it out there to call for its master's help, so I went after it further away in the wasteland. It almost looked like a leaping insect with its large thorax and strangely shaped abdomen as it continued escaping me, and all I could do was run after it.

"Will you just stop!" I finally yelled at it.

It seemed to react to my frustration as it suddenly spun around in mid-air and threw a knife at me. I was quick enough to dodge it, but next thing I knew I was locking swords with the beast. Its red eyes stared right into mine as I pushed it back. It didn't even seem phazed… With one quick move, I disarmed the nameless demon-beast and leaped at it to push it down with my feet. Placing the tip of my blade at its throat, it couldn't move and I looked at it directly in the eye.

"Any last word, demon?"

"…"

…It chuckled.

"Tr… Traitors… Traitors always get what they deserve… You were once my leader… You were once the pride of our master… It's far from over, _Star Warrior._"

I didn't think this through twice. In the fraction of a second, all life left these eyes, and the demon's head fell back on the ground, mouth slightly opened and mandibles still twitching. I jumped off the beast and wiped my sword in the dirt. I didn't need to listen to it. I put these last words aside and flew back toward the base. It was strangely silent here… No more explosions, not even the growl of a beast or the call of my comrades. Was it over already? My wings brought me to a stop and I hovered there for a moment. Over there, in the distance… the base was on fire. A large column of smoke and fire was rising up to the sky, darkening the air in a fiery hue. Something had gone wrong. Beating the air, I continued on my way, grasping my sword tightly.

The more I approached, the more I knew the base was done for. However… I found the soldiers… Their bodies were all scattered around among dead demon-beasts, many gazing upward, faces frozen and voices silenced… What… did this? They were all fighting here just a while ago! And the base! It looked like something exploded in the main building, the walls were down and the fire rose up to the sky. There wasn't any call for help, no sign of life, and I stood there, confused… until I heard many coughs. I spun and listened. It came from the other side of the base. Grasping my sword, I ran over immediately, ready to see either a demon or the cause of all this. When I turned the corner, I saw someone I recognized, someone that was with my team: Sir Rapier. He was sitting there against the wall, armor pierced and hands holding a wound. His breathing was but wheezing and coughing. I ran over and knelt by his side, and when he gasped I put my hand on his shoulder to keep him calm.

"It's alright, it's just me," I said as calmly as I could. "What happened here?"

He looked up at me, a part of his mask around his eyes falling off. His hand lifted off the ground and he put it on mine, nodding slightly.

"Thank the stars you're alright! For a while there I thought I was- kof! kof! ugh… I thought I was the last one here…"

"What did this? A demon-beast?"

His eyes widened and his grasp on my hand tightened.

"Who is what you mean… It was… kof!... It was Sir Galacta…"

I froze.

"He went on a rampage," he continued, voice quieter and eyes scanning the area. "Blew up a hidden bomb in the base, killed everyone… and he was laughing… Stars, he was laughing…"

I gulped down my nervousness to stop myself from shaking and breathed in deeply before looking around.

"We can't stay here," I almost mumbled.

"I tried to call for back-up," he breathed out. "But the bastard busted the radio tower, we can't contact HQ. Maybe they'll notice they're missing a contact, but I wouldn't get too much hopeful about that…"

"What about the ship we arrived on? Is it still around?"

Sir Rapier looked around, lifting what remained of his precious musketeer hat.

"I think so… I didn't see it leave, and I certainly didn't hear another explosion. It was over there, beyond that large rock structure."

He pointed in the distance, and sure enough, I noticed these rocks, forming like an arch with a hidden secret right behind. It was our ticket out of here. Careful, I helped my friend to stand up and supported him against my shoulder, sliding a wing on his back to support the rest of his limping body. His left foot was badly burnt and he had a stab wound in his side. He needed treatment as soon as possible.

We went there as fast as my friend's wounds let us and the silence made me even more nervous than anything else. Sir Galacta was the assassin… As these words crawled around in my mind, I heard the distinct sound of flapping wings. We were found… A shadow slowly passed right over us and we had to stop.

"Oh crap, you gotta be kidding me," Rapier mumbled as we both looked up.

Sir Galacta was hovering right over us, eyes burning like fiery suns in the sky. He circled above us like a vulture, angel wings stained with ashes, dirt and blood.

"Two little preys, running away," he chanted like a child's song, "two little rabbits, hopping around. Run, run, little preys…"

"He's crazy…," Rapier said almost in disbelief.

Keeping my eyes on the laughing man, I told him:

"You'll need to head over to the ship on your own. I can still fight, I will distract him. Go, now!"

We were always taught not to question these kinds of plans in such a situation. It was always better if one of us survived. As such, I carefully let go of him and Rapier stumbled for a moment before going in a limping sprint. Sword in hand, I looked up at the enemy. He was locked on to Rapier and flying his way. With a sudden flap from my wings, I leaped from the ground as fast as I could, holding my blade in front. The two weapons clashed loudly against each other and, for a moment, everything was a tornado of swords clashing and wings flapping wildly as we spun around trying to hit the other. Our swords locked again and we remained hovering there, each trying to push the other back. I was smaller than he was, but I knew I was fastest. He laughed loudly and his eyes shone with madness, the same light that appeared whenever I saw him fight.

"Heh heh heh! Hahahaha! Now this will be interesting! I was wondering where you've been, Knight! Almost thought you ran away from the battle!"

Knight… Right, he always called me that. He suddenly pushed harder and I had to break the lock with a quick flap to send me backward. I couldn't contain the growl that came out of my mouth.

"Why are you doing this! You're the one who tried to murder to Sir Arthur!"

He laughed once more, spinning around in the air like he was dancing around. He even turned his back on me.

"Hahahaha! Now you catch up!"

Thinking his guard was down, I charged forward, slashing horizontaly, but it was a mistake for he spun around and deflected my blow to counter-attack immediately. My mask blocked the slash for a part, but I felt the tip pass right through the slit of my mask. Blood streamed down between my eyes. The attacks that followed were quick and fierce, faster than I thought he could be, and all I could do was block them, one after the other, taking a blow here and there. My arms were soon covered in gashes, but the adrenaline kept me from feeling any pain. I needed to stay focused and calm. Sir Galacta was one of the strongest member of the Galaxy Soldier Army. But he wasn't invincible, that I was sure of. Finally I saw a gap in one of his attacks and I plunged my sword forward with all my might, stabbing him through his shoulder plate. With a grunt and a flap of his wings, he was already a distance away, hovering in the air with a bloody hole in his armor. His eyes looked at it a short moment, then swayed over to me once more. I had never seen such anger…

"You're always in the way, Knight," he growled. "You were there when I tried to kill Arthur, you miserable demon…" He pointed his sword at me, eyes mad. "Then you'll die a demon's death!"

And with a war cry, he lunged at me wildly without thinking, and I answered with a wave of attack of my own. It felt like this battle went on for hours. Each time one had the advantage, it was broken and switched to the other and we would fly in circles, one always facing the other. It was as if his strength was never-ending, an infinite loop of power. Once again, we were separated from a sword clash and we hovered a few meters from each other. Good, he was breathless… but I was too. I breathed deeply and focused. I needed to be stronger. He stared at me with hatred and his hand clenched his sword tightly. He was shaking.

"You dirty little…"

**"****Kill him. Prove to me that you are the strongest."**

My eyes widened. That voice… it's been so… long… Nightmare… I shook my head to clear my thoughts. I didn't have to prove anything, not to him, not to anyone. Galacta roared out his anger and all I saw next was a sudden explosion and a flash in my eyes. The shock wave that followed pushed me away and I fell to the ground in a painful heap. I was so confused… Face in the dirt, my ears were ringing and my body felt numb. What was that explosion? I slowly lifted my head and looked up. What… was that, over there? There was smoke everywhere… Slowly, my ears caught more and more sounds. I made out the rumbling of an engine… then a call, like it came out of loud speakers.

"Meta! Sorry, you were a bit closer than I thought! You'd better not be dead down there!"

Looking up higher in the sky, I understood everything that happened. Rapier had gotten the ship working and had shot a missile at Galacta. I gathered as much strength as I could and stood up on my feet. The large starship was hovering in the air, its engine lifting up the dust and the ashes. I lifted a hand and waved, signaling that I was alright, and looked down to where Galacta was supposed to be. The fool… All that I could see was a heap of burnt feathers laying down in the mud, flesh black and distorted. Was it… really him? It felt almost too easy… However, I shook my head, feeling my body shaking. Why was I complaining?

"Alright, the hatch is open," Rapier spoke in the speakers. "Come on in, we're going back! Hope you can help me drive this thing, or else we'll crash somewhere."

I opened my wings once more and took to the air. The hatch from which all the soldiers once poured out onto this battlefield was open for me and I slid in without a word. We had to go back to the HQ. There was a lot to explain.

As I helped Rapier steer the ship so we could head upward, I couldn't help staring at the remains of Galacta. He hadn't used his whole strength today. And yet, he managed to destroy our whole team as well as our base, in just a matter of minutes… Once we were in space, we set the course on hyperspace, and I did my best to help Rapier with his serious wounds. Maybe now things would calm down.


End file.
